Author(s): Melina Sattelmeier; Anders G. Andersson; J. Gunnar I. Hellstrom; T. Staffan Lundstrom
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: Before constructing pumped hydropower storage (PHS) plants, it is crucial to evaluate their potential ecological impacts. This study examines how reservoir selection, initial thermal conditions, and pumping operations influence internal flow dynamics. A full-factorial simulation design was applied, systematically varying key parameters over a 24-hour pumping cycle. The results indicate that stratification is an important parameter governing flow behavior, with inflows tending to follow the thermocline under stratified conditions, whereas in unstratified cases they propagate along their density-equivalent layers. Future work should extend this analysis to real reservoirs and longer timescales, incorporating external inflows and meteorological forcing. Overall, this work is an important step towards understanding the subsequent processes of PHS operation such as sediment transport and habitat alterations.
Year: 2026